2 Covers, 1 Hole

Trump playing golf is the subject of The New Yorker's and The Economist's covers.

Out of the overwhelmingly large collection of eligible topics for a cover treatment, The New Yorker and The Economist settled on the same one for their newest issues: golf. Or, more specifically, the president’s proclivity for the game, one that has found him visiting his golf courses 13 times since taking office (he didn’t play on all the visits).

In The Economist’s visual metaphor, the president is deep in the hole with only his golf club visible, the White House far in the distance, like an afterthought. “Donald Trump won the White House on the promise that government is easy,” began the accompanying story. It continued, “After 70 days in office, however, Mr Trump is stuck in the sand.”

In The New Yorker’s version, the White House is much closer, so much so that the lawn is sprinkled with golf balls, and many of the building’s window panes have been broken. In case that metaphor isn’t clear, here is how artist Barry Blitt described it. “I see that the word ‘duffer’ is defined as ‘a person inexperienced at something, especially at playing golf.’ That’s the word that comes to mind as I watch President Trump plowing one drive after another through the glass windows of American politics.”